Product Reviews

Hewlett-Packard has been making personal laser printers seemingly since the dawn of time. They practically invented the market - and the company has now gained a considerable reputation for producing good quality kit, though it does occasionally turn out a dog - no manufacturer is perfect, after all. The LaserJet 1100 is a bit different from the usual HP laser, in that it stacks its paper on the top of the machine. Indeed, it's the only model of the LaserJet family to do so. It also has a useful scanner option (included in the 1100A version) that sits on the front like a joey in a kangaroo's pouch.

Ease of use

Enticingly curvy from all viewpoints, the ergonomics of the LJ1100 are simple. There's only one button worthy of note on this printer, and you'll rarely need to use it. Paper stacks up with the first output sheet on the 'top' of the almost vertical stack. The parallel port is not standard, so a special cable is supplied - don't lose it, as they're not cheap to replace! Changing the toner cartridge is simple, via the drop-down front of the unit - no skinned knuckles here.

Print

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Quality

Our complex newsletter test separates the men from the boys. The HP did it particularly well. Greyscales have good contrast, with no evidence of tartanning, and blacks are definitely black. Text output is crisp and sharp, and (with the PCL5e driver) much better than those of either the Tally or the Samsung. The only printer that comes close in terms of print quality is Epson's EPL5700L, which still falls short with its greyscales.

Performance

Taking 193 seconds for the full battery of tests (excluding the multiple-copy run) the LJ1100 is not the fastest printer around. Its subsequent copies, though, belie its 8ppm rating - it actually performs faster than this, according to our timings, and each copy is as crisp as the first. Its real fortÚ is business graphics, which it renders with impressive speed. The only downside is the little tune it seems to play as it fires up for the next sheet to come out - it can be rather obtrusive.

Overall

The LJ1100 is a solidly-built personal laser printer that provides excellent printed output. It's pleasing to the eye, and will suit most desktops - even with its smoked grey plastic paper supports. No doubt blue and green ones will follow, to match the current trend for jelly-mould PCs. Although this printer isn't outrageously cheap, its output is immaculate. For that reason alone, the HP has to be the winner. After all, the raison d'Ætre of any printer is to give good-quality output, and on that score the LaserJet 1100 will delight. If you then take into account the solid construction and better-than-rated performance, you'll have to conclude that HP has done it again. A worthy winner.